What is RePower?
RePower Alice Springs is an independent community group, auspiced by ALEC, with a mission to achieve 100% solar power for our town by 2030, through: advocacy; building community capacity; and community power projects and partnerships.
In our 2017 community solar survey, three-quarters of the 816 respondents wanted 70 to 100% solar for Alice by 2030. The NT Government has a target of 50% renewable power for the Territory by then.
What are RePower’s projects to help get to 100% solar?
We are working with Territory Generation (T-Gen), the big NT Government-owned power generator, to develop a 10 megawatt (MW) community solar farm for Alice Springs. This priority project may be developed in stages.
We are currently running an investment survey to hear from our community how the solar plant should be managed – please take the investment survey here.
We plan to develop other community solar projects as we gain the capacity and the seed finance.
Is 100% solar for Alice even possible?
A number of places around the world are now powered 100%, or almost 100%, by renewables, with more working towards this goal. A quick on-line search will take you to them. Super high solar radiation in Alice Springs, makes 100% achievable.
Why can’t the government or individuals do this alone?
The Federal Government particularly, and some states, are way behind what communities and some industries expect and are doing to shift to renewable power. Many believe governments are standing in the way with poor policy, policy that supports fossil fuel industries over renewables, or no policy at all. Groups like RePower advocate for better policy and are then driven to make their own careful plans on behalf of the community with forward-thinking partners.
Many individuals now have their own solar panels. Through RePower we expect they will soon be able to effectively buy more panels in our solar farm for further environmental benefit, a financial return, an ownership and a say in the project for wider community benefit. We particularly welcome renters without their own roofs for panels and retirees who wish to invest in solar power.
Why bother?
Extreme heat waves and bushfires, mass Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching, tropical storms ravaging our Pacific Island neighbours, some whose island homes may sink with sea level rises while polar ice rapidly melts…..Mainstream science now confidently attributes these climate changes to worldwide historical dependence on fossil fuels. The dependence can be broken and RePower is doing its bit, bringing regional economic development and jobs in the bargain.
How can you contact us?
RePower Alice Springs invites local organisations, businesses and community members to share the vision for a renewable energy future for Alice Springs.
Email: [email protected] for more information Keep updated via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/repoweralicesprings/